Thielbahr crowned league MVP, 6 other Bulldogs receive honors

Bulldogs were all over the 4A All-Inland Empire League baseball team released on Monday.

Sandpoint took home over half of the awards after claiming the regional title and earning a trip to state for the third time in the last 14 years.

Max Thielbahr was named the league MVP, and Avery Bocksch, Evan Williams, Jack Zimmerman, Ethan Butler, Trevor Brackett and Cody Newhart all received spots on the all-league team. Head coach Chase Tigert was also named Coach of the Year.

Thielbahr, who has committed to play baseball at Occidental College next year, made history this year by joining the 30-30 club. Based on what Tigert could dig up, Thielbahr is the first player in Sandpoint baseball history to record 30 hits and 30 stolen bases in a single season.

"That's incredible, but it wasn't just that," Tigert said, "it was the fact that he was also lights out on the mound for us. The kid could do it all ... so for him to be MVP I think is incredibly fitting."

The senior left-handed pitcher took on the fireman role as the season progressed. He could step on the bump late in games regardless of the situation and get the job done, Tigert said.

He had a 1.68 ERA over 16 2/3 innings while striking out 19. At the plate, he had a .348 batting average and drove in 23 runs.

Bocksch, who earned all-league honors in 2019, served as the ace of the Bulldog pitching staff this spring. He pitched 46 innings and struck out 25 batters while recording a 2.28 ERA.

Bocksch had quite the arsenal on the mound to keep opposing hitters off-balance. Along with a fastball, he threw a change-up and breaking ball. The senior also added a cutter toward the end of the season.

Tigert said Bocksch was extremely successful due to the amount of movement on his pitches.

"He didn't throw one straight pitch and when you do that ... it becomes really hard for guys to get barrel and that's what he did all year," he said.

This was Williams first and only season with the Bulldogs, but he left his mark. The senior transfer from California was a force on the mound. He tossed 38 strikeouts over 28 1/3 innings of work. He also blasted a pair of home runs.

But his impact went way beyond the field. He was a leader and his vocalness in the dugout lifted the spirits of the entire team.

Williams' desire to compete was evident and he was a true team player, Tigert said.

"From the first time I saw him throw, I knew he was going to play a huge role on this team," he said. "I knew he was going to do that from a physical perspective, but I didn't know that he was going to contribute as much as he did from a mental and energy perspective."

To have a dominant pitching staff, you need an elite catcher. Luckily, Sandpoint had Brackett.

The senior was a rock behind the plate, catching 163 innings.

Through the ups and downs of the season, Brackett was the one constant. Tigert trusted Brackett to call games from behind the plate all season. In fact, Tigert didn't call a single pitch.

"We would not be able to do what we did this year without him," Tigert said, "and he never asked for a break, he never asked for a day off and he never once had any kind of complaint."

In the outfield, Zimmerman flashed the leather on a handful of occasions and he was a key contributor at the plate.

He batted .308 as a sophomore and stole 21 bases. He was also known for laying down the occasional bunt and sprinting toward first base to beat out the throw.

Zimmerman also threw 18 strikeouts over 12 2/3 innings this season.

"He was a huge addition," Tigert said. "At the beginning of the year after tryouts, I wasn't quite sure exactly where he was going to be, and we took him up on varsity and he never looked back. That kid earned his spot day in and day out."

Butler, the first baseman, was a monster at the plate. The junior led the team with a .350 batting average and 25 RBIs.

He also saw his first action on the bump since his freshman year in 2019 when he earned all-league honors. Butler had surgery in January of 2020 for a torn labrum in his throwing arm.

He was still easing himself back from the injury this season, so he only pitched seven innings, but it was a step in the right direction.

Tigert said Butler is one of those players that every coach loves to have.

"He is such an amazing player and person," he said. "I can't say enough good things about him. He's a student of the game and he takes everything that we say to heart, and he's always asking for feedback on how he can improve."

Newhart earned all-league honors as a utility player and designated hitter. Some might have forgotten, but the sophomore started on the mound for the Bulldogs in their season opener.

He got a couple more appearances on the bump after that before suffering an injury over spring break that prevented him from pitching the rest of the season.

Newhart opened the season hitting leadoff, but slowly worked his way into the heart of Sandpoint's lineup. He hit .343 this spring with 23 RBIs and two home runs. He also stole 25 bases.

Tigert is excited to see what Newhart can do over the next two seasons.

"That kid has a very, very bright future for baseball," he said. "He was a huge asset, there's no doubt about it."

2021 4A IEL All-League baseball team

MVP: Max Thielbahr, Sr., Sandpoint.

Newcomer of the Year: Scotty Hocking, So., Lakeland.

Coach of the Year: Chase Tigert, Sandpoint.

Pitchers: Avery Bocksch, Sr., Sandpoint; Evan Williams, Sr., Sandpoint; Ryan Delusa, Sr., Moscow.

Infielders: Barrett Abendroth, Sr., Moscow; Chad Redinger, Sr., Moscow; Payden Wysong, Jr., Lakeland; Ethan Butler, Jr., Sandpoint.

Outfielders: Jack Zimmerman, So., Sandpoint; Scotte Pote, Sr., Lakeland; Devon Conway, Sr., Moscow.

Catcher: Trevor Brackett, Sr., Sandpoint.

Utility/DH: Cody Newhart, So., Sandpoint.